A bioluminescent derivative of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 for deliberate release into the environment

The Compound 2-Hexyl, 5-Propyl Resorcinol Has a Key Role in Biofilm Formation by the Biocontrol Rhizobacterium Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1606

The production of the compound 2-hexyl-5-propyl resorcinol (HPR) by the biocontrol rhizobacterium Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1606 (PcPCL1606) is crucial for fungal antagonism and biocontrol activity that protects plants against the phytopathogenic fungus Rosellinia necatrix. The production of HPR is also involved in avocado root colonization during the biocontrol process. This pleiotrophic response prompted us to study the potential role of HPR production in biofilm formation. The swimming motility of PcPLL1606 is enhanced by the disruption of HPR production. Mutants impaired in HPR production, revealed that adhesion, colony morphology, and typical air–liquid interphase pellicles were all dependent on HPR production. The role of HPR production in biofilm architecture was also analyzed in flow chamber experiments. These experiments revealed that the HPR mutant cells had less tight unions than those producing HPR, suggesting an involvement of HPR in the production of the biofilm matrix.

Genetic analysis of plant endophytic Pseudomonas putida BP25 and chemo-profiling of its antimicrobial volatile organic compounds

Black pepper associated bacterium BP25 was isolated from root endosphere of apparently healthy cultivar Panniyur-5 that protected black pepper against Phytophthora capsici and Radopholus similis - the major production constraints. The bacterium was characterized and mechanisms of its antagonistic action against major pathogens are elucidated. The polyphasic phenotypic analysis revealed its identity as Pseudomonas putida. Multi locus sequence typing revealed that the bacterium shared gene sequences with several other isolates representing diverse habitats. Tissue localization assays exploiting green fluorescence protein expression clearly indicated that PpBP25 endophytically colonized not only its host plant - black pepper, but also other distantly related plants such as ginger and arabidopsis. PpBP25 colonies could be enumerated from internal tissues of plants four weeks post inoculation indicated its stable establishment and persistence in the plant system. The bacterium inhibited broad range of pathogens such as Phytophthora capsici, Pythium myriotylum, Giberella moniliformis, Rhizoctonia solani, Athelia rolfsii, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and plant parasitic nematode, Radopholus similis by its volatile substances. GC/MS based chemical profiling revealed presence of Heneicosane; Tetratetracontane; Pyrrolo [1,2-a] pyrazine-1,4-dione, hexahydro-3-(2-methylpropyl); Tetracosyl heptafluorobutyrate; 1-3-Eicosene, (E)-; 1-Heneicosanol; Octadecyl trifluoroacetate and 1-Pentadecene in PpBP25 metabolite. Dynamic head space GC/MS analysis of airborne volatiles indicated the presence of aromatic compounds such as 1-Undecene;Disulfide dimethyl; Pyrazine, methyl-Pyrazine, 2,5-dimethyl-; Isoamyl alcohol; Pyrazine, methyl-; Dimethyl trisulfide, etc. The work paved way for profiling of broad spectrum antimicrobial VOCs in endophytic PpBP25 for crop protection.

Fis regulates the competitiveness of Pseudomonas putida on barley roots by inducing biofilm formation

An important link between the environment and the physiological state of bacteria is the regulation of the transcription of a large number of genes by global transcription factors. One of the global regulators, Fis (factor for inversion stimulation), is well studied in Escherichia coli, but the role of this protein in pseudomonads has only been examined briefly. According to studies in Enterobacteriaceae, Fis regulates positively the flagellar movement of bacteria. In pseudomonads, flagellar movement is an important trait for the colonization of plant roots. Therefore we were interested in the role of the Fis protein in Pseudomonas putida, especially the possible regulation of the colonization of plant roots. We observed that Fis reduced the migration of P. putida onto the apices of barley roots and thereby the competitiveness of bacteria on the roots. Moreover, we observed that overexpression of Fis drastically reduced swimming motility and facilitated P. putida biofilm formation, which could be the reason for the decreased migration of bacteria onto the root apices. It is possible that the elevated expression of Fis is important in the adaptation of P. putida during colonization of plant roots by promoting biofilm formation when the migration of bacteria is no longer favoured.

Bacterial responses and interactions with plants during rhizoremediation

With the increase in quality of life standards and the awareness of environmental issues, the remediation of polluted sites has become a priority for society. Because of the high economic cost of physico-chemical strategies for remediation, the use of biological tools for cleaning-up contaminated sites is a very attractive option. Rhizoremediation, the use of rhizospheric microorganisms in the bioremediation of contaminants, is the biotechnological approach that we explore in this minireview. We focus our attention on bacterial interactions with the plant surface, responses towards root exudates, and how plants and microbes communicate. We analyse certain strategies that may improve rhizoremediation, including the utilization of endophytes, and finally we discuss several rhizoremediation strategies that have opened ways to improve biodegradation.

Impact of the microscale distribution of a Pseudomonas strain introduced into soil on potential contacts with indigenous bacteria

Soil bioaugmentation is a promising approach in soil bioremediation and agriculture. Nevertheless, our knowledge of the fate and activity of introduced bacteria in soil and thus of their impact on the soil environment is still limited. The microscale spatial distribution of introduced bacteria has rarely been studied, although it determines the encounter probability between introduced cells and any components of the soil ecosystem and thus plays a role in the ecology of introduced bacteria. For example, conjugal gene transfer from introduced bacteria to indigenous bacteria requires cell-to-cell contact, the probability of which depends on their spatial distribution. To quantitatively characterize the microscale distribution of an introduced bacterial population and its dynamics, a gfp-tagged derivative of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 was introduced by percolation in repacked soil columns. Initially, the introduced population was less widely spread at the microscale level than two model indigenous functional communities: the 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid degraders and the nitrifiers (each at 10(6) CFU g(-1) soil). When the soil was percolated with a substrate metabolizable by P. putida or incubated for 1 month, the microscale distribution of introduced bacteria was modified towards a more widely dispersed distribution. The quantitative data indicate that the microscale spatial distribution of an introduced strain may strongly limit its contacts with the members of an indigenous bacterial community. This could constitute an explanation to the low number of indigenous transconjugants found most of time when a plasmid-donor strain is introduced into soil.

Effects of the inoculant strain Pseudomonas putida KT2442 (pNF142) and of naphthalene contamination on the soil bacterial community

The naphthalene-degrading activity of a Pseudomonas sp. strain isolated from a creosote-contaminated soil was shown to be encoded by the IncP9 plasmid pNF142 by transfer to Pseudomonas putida KT2442. The effects of the inoculant strain KT2442 (pNF142) and of naphthalene contamination on the soil bacterial community were studied in microcosms with the following treatments: (I) soil, (II) soil with naphthalene, (III) soil with naphthalene and inoculated with KT2442 (pNF142). The inoculant became the dominant bacterial population in treatment (III) as evidenced by cultivation and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis. The bacterial DGGE profiles revealed drastically reduced complexity due to the numerical dominance of the inoculant. However, group-specific fingerprints (beta-proteobacteria, actinobacteria) that excluded KT2442 (pNF142) showed less severe changes in the bacterial community patterns. A major effect of naphthalene on the soil bacterial community was observed in treatment (II) after 21 days. Two dominant bands appeared whose sequences showed the highest similarity to those of Burkholderia sp. RP007 and Nocardia vinaceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing. These bands were less intense in treatment (III). The increased abundance of RP007-like populations due to naphthalene contamination was also confirmed by PCR amplification of the phnAc gene. The nahAc and nahH genes were detected in DNA and cDNA only in treatment III. Although the inoculant strain KT2442 (pNF142) showed good survival and expression of genes involved in naphthalene degradation, this study suggests that KT2442 (pNF142) suppressed the enrichment of indigenous naphthalene degraders.

Colonization and persistence of a plant growth-promoting bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CS85, on roots of cotton seedlings

Pseudomonas fluorescens CS85, which was previously isolated from the rhizosphere of cotton seedlings, acts as both a plant growth-promoting bacterium and a biocontrol agent against cotton pathogens, including Rhizoctonia solani, Colletotrichum gossypii, Fusarium oxysporum f sp. vasinfectum, and Verticillium dahliae. Strain CS85 was labeled separately with luxAB and gusA. The labeled strains were stably maintained and had high levels of expression of the marker genes, luxAB and gusA, after successive transfers on nonselective medium, long-term preservation, and after recovery from soil. The labeled strains displayed similar biocontrol characteristics (e.g., antibiosis, effects of growth -promotion and disease -control) to the original strain. The labeled strains colonized all surfaces of the young plant root zones, such as roots hairs and lateral roots, although the distribution of the labeled strains on the root surfaces was not uniform. Moreover, the population densities of the labeled strains on the root surface were stably maintained at high levels during the first 2 weeks of plant growth in the native soil, so that about 107–108 CFU/g root were detected, then decreased gradually. Nevertheless, approximately 106 CFU/g root of the labeled strains were observed on the root surfaces 35 d after planting.Key words: plant growth-promoting bacteria, luxAB, gusA, root colonization.

The davDT operon of Pseudomonas putida, involved in lysine catabolism, is induced in response to the pathway intermediate delta-aminovaleric acid

Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is a soil microorganism that attaches to seeds and efficiently colonizes the plant's rhizosphere. Lysine is one of the major compounds in root exudates, and P. putida KT2440 uses this amino acid as a source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy. Lysine is channeled to delta-aminovaleric acid and then further degraded to glutaric acid via the action of the davDT gene products. We show that the davDT genes form an operon transcribed from a single sigma70-dependent promoter. The relatively high level of basal expression from the davD promoter increased about fourfold in response to the addition of exogenous lysine to the culture medium. However, the true inducer of this operon seems to be delta-aminovaleric acid because in a mutant unable to metabolize lysine to delta-aminovaleric acid, this compound, but not lysine, acted as an effector. Effective induction of the P. putida P(davD) promoter by exogenously added lysine requires efficient uptake of this amino acid, which seems to proceed by at least two uptake systems for basic amino acids that belong to the superfamily of ABC transporters. Mutants in these ABC uptake systems retained basal expression from the davD promoter but exhibited lower induction levels in response to exogenous lysine than the wild-type strain.

Influence of Soil Temperature and Matric Potential on Sugar Beet Seedling Colonization and Suppression of Pythium Damping-Off by the Antagonistic Bacteria Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas fluorescens B5 and Bacillus subtilis MBI 600 colonized sugar beet seedlings at matric potentials of -7 x 10(3), -140 x 10(3), and -330 x 10(3) Pa and under five temperature regimes ranging from 7 to 35 degrees C, with diurnal fluctuations of 5 to 22 degrees C. No interaction between matric potential and temperature was observed. In situ bioluminescence indicated physiological activity of Pseudomonas fluorescens B5. Colonization of the root at >/=4 cm below the seed decreased at very low matric potential (-330 x 10(3) Pa). Total population size of Pseudomonas fluorescens B5 per seedling was significantly increased at -140 x 10(3) Pa. However, matric potential had no significant effect on the population density of Pseudomonas fluorescens per gram of root fresh weight and did not affect the distribution of the population down the root. Total population size per seedling and downward colonization by Pseudomonas fluorescens B5 were significantly reduced at high temperatures (25 to 35 degrees C). Maximum colonization down the root occurred at intermediate temperature (15 degrees C) at both matric potentials (-7 x 10(3) and -140 x 10(3) Pa). Addition of B. subtilis MBI 600 to the seed had no effect on rhizosphere populations of Pseudomonas fluorescens B5. Populations of B. subtilis MBI 600, which consisted largely of spores, were slightly reduced at lower matric potentials and were not affected by temperature. Survival and dry weight of plants in soils infested with Pythium spp. decreased with increasing soil temperature and matric potential, indicating an increase in disease pressure. However, there was no significant interaction between the two factors. At -330 x 10(3) Pa, soil dryness but not Pythium infection was the limiting factor for plant emergence. At temperatures of 7 to 25 degrees C and matric potentials of -7 x 10(3) to 120 x 10(3) Pa, treatment with Pseudomonas fluorescens B5 increased plant survival and dry weight. At 7 degrees C and -120 x 10(3) Pa, there was almost complete emergence of seeds treated with Pseudomonas fluorescens B5. Antagonistic activity of Pseudomonas fluorescens B5 decreased with increasing soil temperature and decreasing matric potential. At 25 to 35 degrees C and -7 x 10(3) Pa, no effect was observed. In regimes with different day and night temperatures, the maximum (day) temperature was decisive for disease development and antagonistic activity. B. subtilis MBI 600 displayed no significant antagonistic effect against Pythium ultimum and did not influence the performance of Pseudomonas fluorescens B5 in combined inocula.

Spatial and temporal distribution of a bioluminescent-marked Pseudomonas putida on soybean root

The ability of rhizobacteria to compete with other microorganisms for root colonization may be critical for its establishment on a root. Over a 6 day period, visualization of the spatial and temporal rhizosphere distribution of a bioluminescent-marked rhizobacterium, Pseudomonas putida, strain GR7.4lux, was examined on soybean grown in non-sterile soil conditions. Luminometry technologies showed a rapid root distribution of rhizobacteria where bioluminescence was particularly intense on the seed and upper root parts. The results provide new information on rhizobial root distribution, where, using enrichment broth, 50% of the root tips were still colonized by rhizobacteria up to 6 days after sowing. This suggests that rhizobial enrichment is required to detect low populations at the root tip. Bioluminescent technology represents a promising alternative to previous methods for studying rhizobial growth and distribution on roots.

Kinetic analysis of bacterial bioluminescence

Bioluminescence from the lux-based bacterial reporter Pseudomonas fluorescens HK44 was experimentally investigated under growth substrate-rich and limiting conditions in batch, continuous stirred tank (CSTR), and turbidostat reactors. A mechanistically based, mathematical model was developed to describe bioluminescence based on 1) production and decay of catalytic enzymes, and 2) reactant cofactor availability. In the model, bioluminescence was a function of inducer, growth substrate, and biomass concentration. A saturational dependence on growth substrate concentration accommodated dependence on cofactor availability and inducer concentration to accommodate enzyme production was incorporated in the model. Under growth substrate and inducer limiting conditions in the batch reactor and CSTR, bioluminescence was found to decrease in response to cellular energy limitations. The effective lux system enzyme decay rate was determined in independent measurements to be 0.35 hr(-1) and the model captured most of the bioluminescent behavior, except at long growth times and high cell density.

Towards safer vectors for the field release of recombinant bacteria

The prospect of the deliberate environmental release of genetically manipulated microorganisms has given rise to a great deal of polemic. Amongst the rational scientific concerns are those concerned with the fate of the released bacteria, the fate of the recombinant genes that they carry, the selective pressures acting upon them in different environmental situations and the long term effects on the environment and human health. All recombinant DNA is carried by vectors (plasmids, transposons or bacteriophage or remnants of these). Thus the way in which recombinant constructions are made may itself lead to potential biosafety concerns, irrespective of the host bacterium and the recombinant DNA fragment of primary interest. The purpose of the present review is to assess progress in improved vector design aimed at eliminating risks due to the way recombinant vectors are constructed. Improved vector constructions include the avoidance of the use, or removal, of antibiotic resistance genes, the use of defective transposons rather than plasmids in order to reduce horizontal transfer and the development of conditionally lethal suicide systems. More recently, new site-specific recombination systems have permitted transposon vectors to be manipulated following strain construction, but before environmental release, so that virtually all recombinant DNA not directly involved in the release experiment is eliminated. Such bacteria are thus pseudo-wild type in that they contain no heterologous DNA other than the genes of interest.

Synergistic transcriptional activation by one regulatory protein in response to two metabolites

BenM is a LysR-type bacterial transcriptional regulator that controls aromatic compound degradation in Acinetobacter sp. ADP1. Here, in vitro transcription assays demonstrated that two metabolites of aromatic compound catabolism, benzoate and cis,cis-muconate, act synergistically to activate gene expression. The level of BenM-regulated benA transcription was significantly higher in response to both compounds than the combined levels due to each alone. These compounds also were more effective together than they were individually in altering the DNase I footprint patterns of BenM-DNA complexes. This type of dual-inducer synergy provides great potential for rapid and large modulations of gene expression and may represent an important, and possibly widespread, feature of transcriptional control.

Vectors to express foreign genes and techniques to monitor gene expression in Pseudomonads

Improved tools for Pseudomonas research include small, broad-host-range vectors that allow regulated expression from the lac operon and T7 promoters whose biology is well understood and adaptable to many bacteria. To facilitate studies on gene regulation, tracking and monitoring of bacteria in diverse environments, and the construction of biosensors, various reporter genes with versatile assay formats have been developed that can be delivered on plasmid, transposon and integration-proficient vectors.

Pseudomonas for biocontrol of phytopathogens: from functional genomics to commercial exploitation

Pseudomonas spp. that can colonise the roots of crop plants and produce antifungal metabolites represent a real alternative to the application of chemical fungicides. Presently, much research is aimed at understanding, at the molecular level, the mechanisms that enable Pseudomonas strains to act as efficient biological control agents. This approach is facilitating the development of novel strains with modified traits for enhanced biocontrol efficacy. However, without solving some inherent problems associated with the effective delivery of microbial inoculants to seeds and without knowledge on the biosafety aspects of novel biocontrol agents, the commercial potential of Pseudomonas spp. for plant disease control will not be realised.